Drilling the Basics

As a sport, karate was only recently introduced. Until the late 1980s, a student’s skill was measured by the strength of techniques he or she could perform against boards and tiles, rather than against other students. Tournaments were promoted to make karate more like a democratic Western sport, with winners and losers. The sport was also overlaid with stories of mysticism that harkened back to ancient times.

Drilling the basics

Despite the emphasis on kata and kicking, karate is also a great body-building and fitness activity. It develops balance, co-ordination, aerobic stamina, muscular strength and flexibility. The art also promotes a healthy lifestyle and encourages respect, courtesy and loyalty.

Practicing the basics is key to becoming a more skilled karateka, so take the time to practice your stances, punches and kicks in 15-minute intervals. This will help you to improve your technique and increase speed.

Karate training also involves supplementary exercises, such as striking a makiwara (striking post) or using the nigiri game – a large jar for gripping. This helps develop power, agility and speed, along with endurance and mental alertness.

Shotokan is one of the most popular karate styles, developed by Funakoshi. It employs both upper and lower body attacks, incorporating open hand strikes and upright stances. It also incorporates flowing movements that help practitioners to deflect opponents’ attacks with angles. There are also some unique blocking techniques, such as a low block, which leaves the closed fist facing your body to reduce damage from attacks to the mid-body, such as hook punches or sidekicks.